Protect
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: All Narcissa has ever done, is protect her family.


Written for **Hopscotch** (tragedy [genre], Lucius/Narcissa [pairing], music [word], creak [word])

Disclaimer; I don't own anything.

-oOo-  
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She had never approved of his joining. If you asked her, the Death Eaters were vicious, blood thirsty monster who would as soon kill one of their own as they would any common Mudblood. She hated them. She hated what they did to her sister, what they did to her husband. And most of all, she hated the threat they posed to her infant son.

Seated in the old rocking chair, she listened to each creak the wood gave as she rocked back and forth. The child in her arms had long since fallen asleep, but threated to wake with the wrong sound. She ran a thin finger over his wispy blonde hair. He looked so much like his father.

The door to their home burst open. Narcissa drew her son closer, fearing who may have entered. Reaching for her wand, she kept her eye on the nursery door. Moments past when nothing happened. Fingers tight on her wand, she raised it as the doorknob jiggled once.

Her fear disappeared completely whenever Lucius entered into the room. He was covered head to toe in dirt and mud. And blood. His normally perfectly tied hair was ripped from the green ribbon. It hung limply around his face and down his shoulders.

"Cissa," he breathed, stepping forward. He smirked at the sight in front of him – his wife with child in one hand, wand in the other. She looked a force to be reckoned with. Unclasping the black cloak from around his neck, he let it slide to the floor as he crossed the room. He took his wife in his arms, kissing her briefly. The child in her arms was still asleep.

"Tell me that isn't yours," Narcissa nodded towards the blood stained clothe.

"No," he reassured her. "Not mine."

She nodded, not trusting her voice should she speak. Instead she just held onto her husband, breathing in the scent of him. Little Draco stirred in her arms, and she moved to calm the child's cries. Lucius was beside her, holding her shoulders as the baby continued to cry into the chilly night.

-oOo-

They called on him more and more often. He would come home covered in blood, bruises, and often burnt. He never spoke of what had occurred during these raids, and she knew better than to ask.

Little Draco was growing quickly. He was already trying out the world. He laughed often. In a house of grey and grim, the laughter of her son was like music to her ears. Of course, even a child's laughter couldn't make this better.

 _He_ was visiting today. _He_ was showing interest in their son. Narcissa would have none of it. She would play the dutiful wife to a Death Eater. She would open her home to them. Loan her elves to treat their wounds. She would play the part. But her son would not. He wasn't even a year old and already they were clearing away a spot on his arm for the mark.

Drawing her son closer to her chest, and listening to the lightness of his laugh, Narcissa vowed that she would keep him from harm. She just needed a way to do so.

-oOo-

When she set the owl to her sister, she didn't expect a reply. She'd been so surprised, and so relieved, whenever Andromeda wrote back. Before she could open the letter and see if your estranged sister would help protect the Malfoy child, she heard an ear piecing cry.

Shoving the letter down the front of her dress, Narcissa tore from her bedroom and out into the nursery. She froze at the sight. Lucius had Bellatrix pinned against the wall, screaming at her. Bella was only chuckling, jabbing a pale finger in the direction of the crying child.

Narcissa drew her gaze away from her husband and sister. She scrambled over to the baby. Colliding with the side of the crib, Narcissa looked down at her young son. He was crying up a storm, holding the ripped bottom of his stuffed dragon. There was a faint redness on his cheek like someone had slapped him. She pulled Draco from the blankets, and held him close to her. Glancing back at her sister, she saw the rest of the stuffed animal clenched in her hands.

"What did you do?" She glared at the older woman.

"I didn't do anything," Bella sneered from around Lucius. "The brat hit me with that damn stuffed toy."

"So you hit him," Narcissa said.

At that, Lucius slammed Bellatrix into the wall. He was visibly shacking as he drew her close. "Don't you dare touch my son," he snared. "If you hurt him, I swear…"

Bellatrix broke free from his grip. She stumbled a second as she got her footing, before turning a cold sneer onto them. "I wouldn't hurt the little brat," Bella's voice was dripping in taunt. "After all, the Dark Lord has big plans for your little prince. I wouldn't dare interfere."

She left, and Narcissa didn't release her son until a few moments later. She held him into her chest as his cries stifled. Lucius was by her side, his hands resting on her shoulders.

"We can't let them…" She trailed off, afraid of being overheard.

Lucius didn't need her to finish, he understood.

-oOo-

When he visited, Narcissa almost turned a fled with her son. Seeing those bony, pale, veined fingers trailing over the soft skin of her son's cheek, Narcissa wanted to vomit. Draco did understand what was happening around him. He didn't understand that the strange man holding him, smirking at him, caressing him, was evil in its purest form. He didn't understand that his fate, his life was to be directed and controlled by this man.

"He will do well," the Dark Lord almost purred. "I can already feel it. This generation will provide such a powerful force." He turned towards the child's parents. "You should be proud, Lucius. Your son has a great future ahead of him in my ranks."

"Thank you my Lord," Lucius bowed his head. He was shacking, as was Narcissa. None seemed to notice.

Narcissa tempered her quivering and glare. She watched as her son, her sweet, innocent boy, giggled up at the pair of burning red eyes. She fought to stay stationary and not retrieve her son from the man's blood stained hands.

The Dark Lord was too busy grinning down at his future soldier to notice the terror in her eyes.

When he handed her the child back, Narcissa's knees almost broke with reassurance. She held her son close, trying to ignore the trail of blood which had transferred from the Dark Lord's fingers, and onto her son's shirt. She tried not to cry.

-oOo-

With the Floo connected, Narcissa took one last look at her young son. She held him tight in her arms, smiling down at his slipping face with a smile only a mother could give. Beside her, Lucius stood. He was smiling at them, his smile tighter and more worn.

They could hear the shouting outside the door. The Dark Lord had returned after his last visit and had taken yet another interest into their son. Unable to hand her son off to that monster again, Narcissa and Lucius had decided it was time to leave.

With the child between them, the parents shared one last hopeful glance at the other.

He grabbed a handful of powder and motioned for her to step into the fireplace. She did so, frowning at the door which seemed to give way any moment now. Her sister's screams of rage were clear through the heavy wood.

"I'll be right after," Lucius said.

Narcissa nodded, taking some of the powder into her own hand. Sharing a glance between her sleeping son and Lucius, she tried to stop the single cold tear that tracked down her cheek.

"Tonk's residence," Narcissa muttered.

Just as she opened her fingers for the powder to flow, the door was blown off the hinges. In surprise, she felt her hand open, the Flood powder rapidly rushing towards the ground. She reached out, trying to grab Lucius and take him with her.

She was unsuccessful and the Floo took her away in a tight run. She managed to not fall out of the new fireplace. At the sight of the cluttered front room, Narcissa gave a strangled cry. She stepped from the fireplace, and found herself pulled instantly into Andromeda's arms.

Draco was still asleep against her chest.

-oOo-

Narcissa watched the fireplace in Andromeda and Ted's living room for two weeks. She waited for her husband to come flying through, apologizing for his lateness. Draco was on the floor in front of the chair she sat in. He was playing happily with the young Nymphadora, and Narcissa couldn't be happier at the sight.

Still, she waited for Lucius to come. They had both known the price for desertion, and had done so anyways. It was worth it to protect their son. Despite the fact that deep down, she knew Lucius never made it out that night, she still waited for him.

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Not one of my best, I can tell you that.


End file.
